My Boss Always Flirts With Me - Chapter 20
Chapter 20: The Gift
Every year on the company’s anniversary, in addition to receiving gifts, He Chi would send out a CEO’s letter. He Chi’s letters were a bit unique. They weren’t just text in an email; he would first write them on paper and then scan them, so the emails everyone received were in He Chi’s own handwriting.
In previous years, Fang Ci had only thought about how nice He Chi’s handwriting was. This year, the letter had a special significance. He was lucky enough to witness its creation firsthand. When He Chi went into the study after work, Fang Ci followed him, holding the German book He Chi had given him a few days ago.
He kept one eye on the book and the other on He Chi’s letter.
He Chi was wearing his frameless glasses, a rare sight. His fountain pen moved smoothly and powerfully across the paper, giving him a refined and very sexy air.
As a result, Fang Ci didn’t even get past the first sentence of the book in his hands.
After writing half the letter, He Chi showed it to Fang Ci and asked if he had anything to add. Fang Ci was flattered. “This… whatever the boss writes is great.”
He Chi took off his glasses. “You can still give your opinion.”
“Like what?”
He Chi said, “For example, what benefits you’d like the company to offer for the new anniversary year.”
Fang Ci was stunned. These didn’t seem like things his level should be commenting on. Shouldn’t there be an anonymous suggestion box for this? But since he was asked, he decided to exercise his “privilege.”
“If I suggest it, will it definitely happen?”
“Not necessarily,” He Chi said. “But we can try, can’t we?”
Fang Ci put down his book and leaned against the bookshelf, listing his ideas. “The promotion and raise channel only opens once a year. The low frequency isn’t good for everyone’s morale. Once every six months would be better.”
“The compensatory leave after each project is a little too short.”
“Next time the team does a team-building trip, we want to go somewhere farther, like Europe or Africa.”
“I hope everyone in the company can get a few more days of vacation.”
Fang Ci stopped here and asked, “Boss, how many days of vacation do you get?”
He Chi said, “I don’t need any.”
Fang Ci: “…Oh.” He secretly hoped He Chi would rest more, but the “straightforward man” in front of him didn’t get his signal and, being a workaholic himself, didn’t care.
Alright, he thought, and picked up his German book again.
He Chi finished the rest of the letter, and Fang Ci finished the first chapter of his book.
…
The Team’s Gift
The next day, Fang Ci asked Xiao Zhu to pack up the gift for He Chi. Xiao Zhu complained on the phone, “You bought it. Why don’t you just mail it to your place?”
Fang Ci coaxed her, “It’s really not convenient at my place. I’m sorry to trouble you.”
The item took up a lot of space. It would indeed be inconvenient for Xiao Zhu to bring it to the office after packing it. Fang Ci said, “I’ll order two extra plates of meat for you next time we have hot pot.”
Xiao Zhu was happy. “Fine, fine.”
All the departments sent their birthday gifts to the CEO’s office. Yuan Cheng was running around busy and even roped in the operations assistant, Shang Qu. Fang Ci and Xiao Zhu brought their gift over. As soon as they got to the desk, Shang Qu saw the two of them and “whoosh’d” to his feet, almost knocking over a cup on the table.
Yuan Cheng: “Why are you so excited?”
Shang Qu gave a dry laugh and took the item from Fang Ci. “You could have just asked me to come and get it.”
There were people from other departments around, so Fang Ci quickly waved his hand. “No, no, it’s fine. It’s not too heavy.”
Shang Qu was polite to him a few more times. Yuan Cheng and Xiao Zhu kept turning to look at them. As they left, Xiao Zhu whispered in Fang Ci’s ear, “Are you and Assistant Shang friends?”
Fang Ci made up a random story. “We helped each other out once.”
Xiao Zhu: “No wonder you’re so close. Assistant Shang and CEO He have the same working style. I was late submitting my monthly report once, and he bombarded me with emails for a long time.”
This was the first time Fang Ci had heard her say that. It was no wonder he hadn’t noticed it himself. They had very little interaction at work. On the few occasions they shared a car in private, Shang Qu had been gentle and steady, perhaps out of respect for his identity.
After marrying He Chi, life went on as usual, but there were tiny, insignificant changes in the details. Fang Ci hadn’t been an emotionally sensitive person before. Shen Liu had called him an easygoing, straightforward science guy. But now he had become perceptive, good at catching emotions, and he often pondered them.
Strange.
In the CEO’s office, Yuan Cheng picked out a few of the more presentable gifts to report to He Chi. The items weren’t expensive; they were just a sign of everyone’s sincerity for He Chi and the company. He Chi wouldn’t take them home. Most of them would be re-framed and hung on the company walls.
Shang Qu strongly insisted that he take the gift from the AP department. The reason he gave was, “What the gift is doesn’t matter. The AP department is a key project for our company right now.”
Yuan Cheng thought that made sense and took it with him. Shang Qu gave him a big pat on the shoulder. “A teachable man!”
Yuan Cheng looked bewildered.
But to be honest, thanks to Shang Qu’s reminder, he had brought the right thing. He didn’t know if He Chi was in a good mood, but he actually asked, “Did the AP department prepare something, too?”
Yuan Cheng handed the item over and said, “It’s already framed. We can hang it in the hallway or a conference room.”
He Chi stopped what he was doing and took a look. On a pure white background were various smart machines, from the bulky models of decades past all the way to the company’s modular and foldable phones. It looked like a small exhibition. At the bottom was a small line of text:
[Follow your voice, listen to your intuition, and create relentlessly.]
This quote was from one of the world’s top product managers, a man who created the first smartphone in history and started a new technological revolution. He was a master whom He Chi greatly admired and loved.
He had once quoted this person in a speech.
He knew who had given him this gift.
“Thank you. When you have a moment, put an extra nail on the office wall.”
Yuan Cheng: “This office?”
He Chi said, “Yes.”
Yuan Cheng nodded vaguely. After he left, he messaged Shang Qu: [You’re amazing. CEO He really liked the gift from the AP department and wants to keep it for himself.]
Shang Qu sent a smiling-face emoji: [It’s not the gift he liked.]
Yuan Cheng didn’t understand.
Shang Qu left it at that, hiding his accomplishments and fame.
…
A Personal Surprise
At 4 p.m., the commemorative gifts from various departments were hung on the walls or put into storage. At the same time, employees received He Chi’s anniversary email.
Fang Ci had only read half of it yesterday. After finishing his work, he opened his inbox and read it again. Xiao Zhu also came out of the conference room, and a chorus of cheers echoed through the office.
Fang Ci quickly realized why everyone was so excited. In the email, He Chi had actually mentioned paid vacation, changing it from 7 days to 10. For a startup, this was unbelievable. The budget for team-building had also increased. At 6,000 yuan per person, they could easily go to Europe, covering the cost of flights and accommodation.
Fang Ci’s fingertips tingled. A rush of electricity coursed through him.
Yesterday, the boss had seemed to have his own ideas and didn’t look like he would listen to him at all. But today, his suggestions were implemented. It turned out his marriage-agreement partner had some authority after all!
Fang Ci felt a mysterious rush of pleasure. He rubbed his fingers together.
Many people in the cubicles were discussing the decision. Xiao Zhu said, “Hahaha, CEO He must have been touched by everyone’s gifts!”
Cheng Wen said, “I think it’s because the company is about to go public. CEO He is just happy, and we’re benefiting from it.”
Fang Ci said, “I think so too.”
Xiao Zhu then gossiped, “It’s CEO He’s birthday today. I wonder how he and his person are celebrating.”
Fang Ci was zoned out, staring at the screen. Without thinking, he replied, “I don’t know. No plans.”
Xiao Zhu and Cheng Wen turned to look at him. “How do you know?”
Fang Ci was jolted back to reality. He let out a dry laugh and changed the subject. “Just guessing. Let’s get back to work.”
Fang Ci picked up his phone and looked up nearby flower shops. He really hadn’t made any specific plans. He Chi was a workaholic, and they couldn’t just go out and celebrate like a typical couple. After thinking for a long time, he had only prepared a personal gift.
After seeing the email, he wanted to send a bouquet to the birthday boy as a thank you, just to show his sincerity.
He quickly finished his work and decided to go home a bit early. He sent He Chi a message, telling him he had plans and would be leaving at 6.
He Chi replied quickly: [Okay.]
Ten minutes later, he replied again: [I really like that ‘painting.’ Thank you.]
Fang Ci read the short message several times. He picked up his phone, put it down, and then picked it up again, replying: [You’re welcome. As long as it’s to your liking.]
What he didn’t know was that in his office, He Chi was also re-reading their conversation. While Yuan Cheng was giving his report, He Chi had half an eye on his phone.
After Yuan Cheng finished his official business, he heard He Chi suddenly ask, “If a friend or relative of yours was having a birthday, what would you do?”
Yuan Cheng: “Have a meal together, or do something fun together?” He wasn’t sure why He Chi was asking. After all, He Chi never celebrated his birthday, so this question seemed out of place.
He Chi nodded.
After Yuan Cheng left, He Chi leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowed, a strange feeling welling up in his heart.
Fang Ci hadn’t said anything to him about his birthday all day, not a single word. The only conversation they had was a few brief, polite messages on their phones, still like a boss and an employee.
He thought for a moment, then opened WeChat again and typed: [What time are you coming home tonight?]
After typing, he considered it for a bit and then deleted it.
He typed again: [Want to go out for dinner tonight?] He thought for a moment and deleted it again, leaving an empty message box.
After all, Fang Ci had said he already had plans. And he had never celebrated his birthday anyway. With that thought, he finally raised his hand and turned off the screen.
…
Fang Ci arrived home a little late. Looking at the empty house, he didn’t dare to make a big fuss. If it were Shen Liu or his other friends’ birthdays, they would all gather, throw a small party, hang streamers and balloons, and make a lot of noise while cutting a cake. But none of that would be appropriate for He Chi.
Even with the bouquet, he didn’t buy roses. The language of roses was either for first love or passionate love, which was obviously unsuitable. Instead, he chose tulips and sunflowers, flowers that looked vibrant and prosperous.
He placed his personal gift in the bouquet. He thought He Chi probably wouldn’t want to wear a birthday hat, so he and Qiumiu each wore one, just to set the mood.
Time passed slowly. He held Qiumiu and waited until 9 p.m. When he heard the sound of a car parking outside, he strode to the door. The moment He Chi pushed the door open, Fang Ci held the flowers in one hand and the cat in the other, saying to He Chi:
“Happy birthday!”
He Chi seemed completely unprepared to find him at the door. He paused, a look of surprise crossing his face, but he quickly returned to normal. Standing in the doorway, he took the bouquet and said, “Thank you.”